Gas Blast Rocks Neighborhood, Destroys Home

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A man suffered critically burns Monday night when a natural-gas line exploded inside his Oakland home.

The second story of the home collapsed on to the first story making the home appear to be a total loss. A neighbor showed reporters security video of the explosion. It looked like a spark followed by a puff of smoke.

Windows also shattered in a neighbors home.

People in the neighborhood said they heard the explosion. Some said they smelled gas prior to the blast. Many came outside and found the injured man stumbling out of the house on fire. They said they used blankets to put out the flames.

The 63-year-old victim is being treated for burns covering 80 percent of his body.

PG&E was on the scene overnight and into Tuesday morning investigating the cause of the explosion.

A spokeswoman for PG&E said the company's gas inspectors don't believe the explosion was caused by a leak in their equipment.

"There have been no leaks or compromises identified," PG&E spokeswoman Jana Morris told Bay City News.

Morris said PG&E tested its lines and equipment outside the home and added any leaks inside the home could be the owners responsibility.